Somerville said: “Since the EU referendum, we have been clear that we want prospective students from the EU to continue to see Scotland as a place they wish to study, a place they wish to live and a place they can call home.”

EU students have enjoyed free tuition in Scotland because of freedom of movement laws, while students from elsewhere in the UK are charged fees.

Universities across the UK have said they have already seen a drop-off in applicants from the EU since the result of the referendum.

In Scotland, UCAS figures show a 10 per cent drop last year alone.

This has been exacerbated by uncertainty over the immigration status of foreign students in post-Brexit Britain as negotiations between the UK Government and the EU continue.

“We must prepare for an outcome none of us want,” Somerville told MSPs.

“In doing so, we must not allow our distinct voice, our international reputation and our excellence in education to diminish.

“Whatever the outcome of the Brexit negotiations, we must send a clear signal not only to people who are already studying here, but also potential students from the EU and further afield

“We must continue to provide opportunities for our own students so that they might benefit from the experience of studying and living abroad.”